The recent public awareness of and concern regarding air pollution has resulted in a considerable attack on automotive engines of the prior art and the part that they play in contributing to the problem of air pollution. However, dealing with the acute air pollution problems, stemming from the great number of automobiles in operation is, to say the least, very complicated in theory as well as in practice. In fact the latest experiences in the art of pollution-controlling technology, in connection with Otto cycle reciprocating piston internal combustion engines, has conclusively shown that the costly add-on pollution control devices greatly increase the fuel consumption of such an engine when compared to the same engine previously operating without such devices. If the prior art proposed solutions are analyzed, it will be found that each proposed solution or system has more flaws than efficiency. Even combining the most desirable features of every system heretofore proposed would not achieve much more than raise the overall cost of the engine.
The basic obstacle to an efficient remedy for the air pollution produced by the automotive engines must be attributed to the peculiarities of the design principles on which such prior art engines have been engineered to obtain the present day high performance.
In the past, high performance but inexpensive engines was the general goal. However, in achieving such a goal, the inherent pollution potential of such engines was totally disregarded. Now, because of the concern with air pollution, the problem of eliminating the pollution created by such prior art engines has been added to the overall design considerations for such engines. However, it has been found that such prior art engines do not readily adapt themselves to the additional tasks (the limitation or elimination of exhaust pollutants) which they are now expected to perform. Therefore, only minor improvements have been and will be made in the future with, what is considered, unreasonable cost penalties.
A successful solution to the problem of exhaust emissions and air pollution can hardly be expected with the use of technology as is known in the prior art. For example, the following are but a few of the characteristics of the prior art internal combustion reciprocating engines which present a hindrance to arriving at a successful solution of air polluting exhaust emissions.
Today's high performance internal combustion engines are generally of the 8-cylinder, four-stroke type and have:
1. a high compression ratio, some in the order of 10:1 or over; PA1 2. dual or four barrel carburetors; PA1 3. a 300 to 400 cubic inch breathing volume; PA1 4. a crank speed, at rated horsepower, of from 4,000 to 5,000 R.P.M.; PA1 5. intake and exhaust valves (some single -- some dual) which can leak; PA1 6. mechanism intended for synchronizing the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves resulting in such valves having inherently built in blow down losses which waste fuel and contribute to the pollution of the air; PA1 7. exhaust manifolds which are always filled to capacity with piston exhaust residues which are incompletely burned gases and as such rush through the manifold at sonic speeds; PA1 8. carburetor fuel-air mixtures leaking (or evaporating) to the ambient atmosphere; PA1 9. unburned fuel-air mixtures leaking into the interior of the engine crankcase; PA1 10. inherent crankcase pollution with resulting varnish deposits and sludge contamination of the crankcase oil; PA1 11. erosion of vital engine parts and exhaust muffler system by attack of lead acids arising from the combustion of leaded fuels; PA1 12. the need for at least limited amounts of tetraethyl lead to lubricate valve seats to prevent mechanical erosion thereof; PA1 13. heat losses through cylinder walls, cylinder heads and pistons but mostly through early exhausting of the combustion gases to the atmosphere; PA1 14. exhaust emissions comprised of quantities of hydrocarbons, monoxide, lead, nitrous oxide and sulphur acids far too great to be tolerable; PA1 15. a fuel to power conversion efficiency of less than twenty seven (27%) percent; and PA1 16. a mechanical efficiency of not more than eighty five (85%) percent.
Nearly every engine characteristic listed in the foregoing may be declared as being adverse to any corrective measure which is intended to reduce air polluting exhaust emissions of such prior engines. The efforts to solve the exhaust emission pollution problem within the limitations found and described above for any of the conventional internal combustion engines have resulted, as is generally well known, in very disappointing side effects. All prior art proposed technical solutions, even if they operated at all, have unsatisfactory side effects. For example, in addition to the fact that such prior art devices are generally of an exorbitant cost, more space is required in and about the vehicle engine compartment to accommodate such prior art devices, the vehicle has to carry the extra weight of such prior art devices, and on an everage the fuel consumption of the engines increased by approximately twenty (20%) percent.
The resulting increase in rate of fuel consumption is, of course, of national convern and therefore, it is submitted that an acceptable solution to engine exhaust emissions requires that the engine reduce its emission output without any increase in the rate of fuel consumption. This, the prior art has not been able to achieve.
Accordingly, the invention as herein disclosed and described is concerned with the elimination of such of the above characteristics as are deemed to be incompatible to an engine which is highly efficient and yet capable or producing its power without the attendant exhaust pollutants of the prior art.